MAKE THE REFUGEES SMILE AGAIN

The Story

Hi :)

This is Eva and Atisha from AIESEC in Sunway's Empowering Equalities! We are both Malaysian university students. Me, Eva, is currently studying Medicine at Monash University, and Atisha is taking Actuarial Science at University Teknologi MARA Shah Alam. We both are passionate about volunteering, and we have a heart for people. That is why we are here today, creating this fundraising campaign and hoping you guys can join us in helping the refugees in Malaysia.

So... you might wonder

Who is a refugee ? 

First, a refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution on the grounds of race, religion, nationality etc, whose own state of government is unable or unwilling to protect them. They have to cross an international boundary, and at the same time, they are unable to return durably to their country of origin.

Why are we so passionate about them?

We, Malaysians, live in a considerably safe environment where there are no wars, no environmental disasters, no political persecution, and that is why most of us cannot relate to them. We do not understand or cannot even imagine what they have been through. We are lucky, we are blessed, and that is why while we appreciate what we have, we feel that we have the responsibility to help those who need help, those who are less fortunate in our community.

Let us brief you through some of the difficulties and challenges faced by the refugees in Malaysia…

Since we were young, we have been going to school to receive proper education, from kindergarten to primary school to secondary school, some even continuing onto university. That sounds pretty normal for us. We never thought of this as something special because that is just how everyone does.

However, this is not the case for refugees in Malaysia.

Immigration law (Act 1956/1063) does not distinguish between refugees and undocumented persons. Therefore, they are considered "undocumented" under the law, and the refugee children cannot attend mainstream school. 

When we are sick, we will go to the doctors and seek help. 

BUT what about the refugees?

Yes, they too can access healthcare facilities, but it is not that easy... There are so many barriers that hindered them away: 

• the cost,
• the security issues,
• the language barriers,
• the social discrimination that they have to face,
• the fear of moving in public to access those services due to their undocumented status.

What do we do, and how can you help?

We are creating this fundraising page to support the Empowering Equalities 8.0. For your information, the donations will go to ElShaddai Refugee Learning Centre (ERLC). Through these, we will be able to provide financial aid in sustaining the activities of the refugees learning centers. 

"SMALL ACTIONS x LOTS OF PEOPLE = GREAT CHANGES."

Let us all together stand up for the less fortunate in our community :)
Thank you!

Lots of Love 
- Eva & Atisha-